STUDY OF THE HABITS OF THE NATIVES. 133 



fasten a rope round a leg, the hippo was gradually 

 hauled by the swimmers to shallow water, and then by 

 sundry rolls they succeeded in getting it into two feet 

 of water, when the cutting-up process was commenced in 

 a thoroughly business-like way. An Arab, chosen by 

 the assembly as being specially learned in the art, first 

 marked out most carefully the various lines of incision 

 by which the hide was to be divided into segments, whilst 

 the others gave an extra edge to their curiously-shaped 

 curved knives with the aid of a smooth pebble. With 

 so many willing hands, the hide was very soon com- 

 pletely detached and placed in the shallow water to 

 soak well. Then all the superficial layer of fat was most 

 carefully removed and placed by itself. This was fol- 

 lowed by an investigation of the interior, and after all 

 the fat had been again carefully collected, every man 

 appeared to think that he could act entirely upon his own 

 account, and the cutting and slashing at the flesh became 

 universal ; and so complete was the operation that the 

 storks, vultures, and other birds of prey which had col- 

 lected in hundreds around us must have been grievously 

 disappointed after our departure on finding how badly 

 they were repaid by their patient waiting. It was during 

 this performance that Essafi, whom we all looked upon 

 as quite a superior being to the others, sank one degree 

 in my estimation ; for the man who day by day had sat 

 by my side to share my luncheon and drink from the 



